Application of ultrasound-guided epidural catheter indwelling in painless labour.

OBJECTIVE: To study the application of ultrasound-guided indwelling epidural catheter in painless labour.

METHODS: A total of 300 single-foetus cephalic position and full-term primipara who did not implement labour analgesia under the same conditions were randomly selected. According to the principle of random grouping, 150 pregnant women who requested and signed the informed consent for labour analgesia were selected as the analgesic group (group A). The other 150 pregnant women who experienced natural delivery without any analgesic measures were categorised as the control group. In the analgesic group, epidural anaesthesia was used when the uterine orifice reached 2.5 cm. The pain grade, motor nerve block, uterine contraction, foetal heart rate and the time of the first stage of labuor were recorded.

RESULTS: The results showed that the group receiving epidural block had lesser pain compared to the control group. The duration of first stage of labour of the analgesic group was significantly shorter than the group without analgesia.. There were no significant differences in the degree of motor nerve block, uterine contractions and foetal heart rate between the analgesic group and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of ultrasound-guided first stage indwelling epidural catheter had a significant effect in causing painless labour in the parturient.